Khislstein Manor

The manor and its building complex that developed at the edge of the conglomerate promontory is one of the most outstanding architectural features of Old Kranj and an indispensable element in the silhouette of the city. It stands above the bridge across the Sava River, on the part of the promontory that was fortified from Roman times to the early Middle Ages. The manor is one of the oldest examples of secular architecture in Kranj. Within the manor complex, which developed as a whole into its present form between the 15th and 19th centuries, we must look for the Ortenburg Tower from 1256. The present southeastern section of the manor complex was built in the period of Turkish invasions and changes in military technology. It was incorporated in the city's defense wall. In the southwestern section, a defense tower was built in the 16th century that shows all the characteristics of contemporary Italian fortification construction. In the middle of the 16th century, Janez Khisl from Fužine bought the castle and converted it into a residential manor that was named˝Khislstein˝ after him (1578). Later owners of the manor included the aristocratic Mosconni and Ravber families. In the 18th century, it was owned by the Apfaltrer and Auersperg families. At the end of the 18th century, Natalis Pagliaruzzi became its owner. His successors kept the manor until 1913 when it became state property. The manor has retained numerous high quality architectural elements, among which the courtyard and the main portal that originated around 1578 are outstanding. The courtyard wing with its arcade is the result of reconstructions in the 18th and 19th centuries. The manor was renovated between 1985 and 1989 and now houses the Institute for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage, the Gorenjska Museum, and a public art gallery.